Welsh proud of Celtic’s never-say-die spirit as he bids to fulfil Euro dream

T h r e e w o r d s u t t e r e d b y C e l t i c b o s s Ange Po s te c o - g l o u we r e i n s c r i b e d o n t o the club’s Scottish Premiership win last season as they took the title back from rivals Rangers.

"We never stop”.

I t wa s t h e me s s a g e t h e n a n d i t r e m a i n s t h e m e s - s a g e t o h i s C e l t i c p l ay e r s , as evidenced on S aturday. Despite conceding a 93rdm i n u t e e q u a l i s e r t o S t Johnstone, the champions went up the pitch to score an even later winner, Giorgos Giakoumakis conver ting an Alexandro B ernabei cross.

“That is what this club is a l l a b o u t ,” a v i s i b l y e l a t e d Stephen Welsh, inset, said at the side of the Mcdiarmi d Pa r k p i t c h a f t e r the game.

"A s t h e m a n a g - e r s a i d , w e k e e p g o i n g , w e n e v e r s t o p . We s u f f e r e d a s e t b a c k l a t e o n , b u t we kept going, we kept pursuing and B erna has done b r i l l i a n t l y d o w n t h e l e f t w i n g a n d t h a n k f u l l y t h a t one has gone in.”

T h e ‘ we d o n’t s t o p’ me nt a l i t y w i l l b e r e q u i r e d i n a b u n d a n c e a t C e l t i c P a r k t o m o r r o w e v e n i n g w h e n t h e t e a m f a c e a mu s t- w i n C h a m p i o n s L e a g u e c l a s h against RB Leipzig, followi n g a 3 -1 l o s s i n G e r m a ny l a s t we e k . B u t i t c a n a l s o b e v i e we d i n t e r ms o f t h e team's identit y, continuing t o p l a y t h e w a y t h e t e a m and the manager believes.

“We k n o w i t i s g o i n g t o be tough, but we are going t o g o i n t o i t t h e s a me way and tr y to play our football, a t t a c k a n d p r e s s h i g h , ” Welsh said. “That is prob - ably what you would expect f r o m u s n o w. I t i s a b o u t recovering and preparing.

"We are wanting to go and put a good performance in, p l a y o u r f o o t b a l l a g a i n s t L e i p z i g , w h i c h we d i d i n p a r t s o n We d n e s d a y. We h ave g o t t o d o t h a t f o r t h e f u l l 9 0 mi n u t e s i n s t e a d o f just wee bits and pieces.

"We know it is going to be a b i g o c c a s i o n , b u t I d o n’t t h i n k we n e e d t o p l ay t h e occasion. It is about playing o u r f o o t b a l l – h i g h p r e s s - ing, high tempo.”

O n a p e r s o n a l l e v e l , t h e matc h c o u l d r e p r e s e n t a n e x t r a s p e c i a l e ve n i n g f o r Stephen Welsh.

The loss in Leipzig was his f i r s t ex p e r i e n c e o f C h a mp i o n s L e a g u e g r o u p s t a g e f o o t b a l l . To mo r r ow n i g h t c o u l d b e t h e c u l mi n a t i o n of a 15-year- old dream. The club's famous 2-1 win over an AC Milan side who were holders and had Kaka, Aless a n d r o Ne s t a a n d A n d r e a P i r l o a m o n g s t t h e i r r a n k s i n 2 0 0 7 w a s his first experience o f s e e i n g C e l t i c a t Champions League level in the flesh.

“T h e y w e r e t h e best team in the world at the time and Celtic went o u t a n d w o n t h e g a m e ," Welsh said. “Hop efully we c a n d o t h e s a me o n Tu e s - day night.

"I t w a s a l o n g t i m e a g o now. But I am here now to go and play and challenge at the top stage.

"It will b e my first Champions League star t at Celti c Pa r k i f I a m p i c ke d . I t i s o b v i o u s l y g o o d p l a y i n g a w a y f r o m h o m e , b u t a C h a m p i o n s L e a g u e n i g h t at Celtic Park will b e a different occasion.

“It is a dream, but you never actually think of it. To go and do that would be a spe - c i a l o c c a s i o n . B u t I d o n’t think we can think of it like that. We need to think of it as a game that we need to go and perform in. We need to play our football and go and win the game.”